Apparatus for synchronizing machines for handling tubular fabric



Sept. 5, 1939. I s. col-m El AL APPARATUS FOR SYNCHBONIZING MACHINES FOR HANDLING TUBULAR FABRIC Filed June 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Shea? 1 ATTORNEY 7 Sept. 5, 1939. s (:QHN AL 2,171,741

APPARATUS FQR SYNCHRONIZING MACHINES-FOR HANDLING TUBULAR FABRIC Filed June 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY E Patented Sept. 5, 1939' avenues to: smcnnomznzo mcanvas ron nsxmmc mum memo Samuel OohmNew York, and Jules Walter,

W M Y l l ors to Samcoe Heldin: corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York application June 2, 193., No. 83.046

, a 11 an. The present case is a continuation in part of our application Ser. No. 691,522, filed September 3 29, 1933, which became Patent 2,109,469. 7

The object of our invention'isto provide a (i. za-i) In addition, we provide simple and effective means, such as a series of bars or rollers mounted on a stationary member, and a series of bars or ,rollers mounted on pivotal levers, the fabric becludes the standards t horizontal bars simple and'emcient device for automatically syning run back and forth partly around the first 5 chronizing the speed of two or more machines, mentioned barsor rollers and partly. around the or parts of machines; which handle fabric, and second mentioned bars. or wherein a zigzag manespecially knitted, tubular fabric. Where knitner and the movable levers are arranged to acted tubular fabric is handled in one machine, or taste the means for controlling the change of lo part of a machine, and then passes into or onto speed in the variable drive portion of the device. m another machine which carries on other func- In this manner. the friction on the fabric or tentions in connection with the knitted tubular fabslon where the fabric engages around the several ric, under a continuous operation, it is necessary bars or rollers is cumulative so that the pull or to synchronize the operation of the two'machines draft on the fabric necessary to I' B'h the or parts of machines, and to so synchronize the variable speed drive is created gradually or is two machines which operate onthe fabric as to spr ad ver 8 c liiii ra le th of f ric in allow for shrinkage of the fabric, or to allow for order not to produce unintended variations in stretch of the fabric between the two' machines the length and width of the knitted tubular'fab or parts of machines; or to allow for a change in ric. I I

:0 the width of the tubular fabric in passing from The movable levers which carry one set of the m one machine to another, so that the speed of the bars around which the fabric is threaded' are machine or part or the machine which rec ve pivoted in order that these movable lever arms the fabric. from a prior machine or part of a may move away from and toward the stationary machine will operate at such a speed as to take arms which carry the other set of bars-wand the as the fabric in such a manner as to allow for movable-leverarms are so balanced or counter- 95 shrinkage, for stretch, or for change of width balanced that the tension on the fabric necessary of the fabric. to control the variable speed drive may be finely The control of the synchronizing operation is r lated and so that undue tension on the fabautomatic, thatis, the control is operated by the ric wilifl l d- 1 fabric itself so that if variations in speed are other features a -B Of our invennecessary in one machine to accord with varigtion will be set forth in the following detailed tions brought about by any of the causes mendescription 01' Our nv n n- In th wi s tioned above, the fabric may "be received on the .f m ng part of this appl r ei i machinei uniform condition as .g Figure 1 is a side elevation of the variable as width, stretch, shrinkage or other factor. speed drive and the con rollin -apparatus,

The device forming our invention is more sim- Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line ple and less expensive and. more eflicient than of Fi re the complicated electrical devices heretofore pro- Fi ure 3 is a det iled sectional viewtaken 0n posed for the same purposes One part of the deh l -4 o F ame 1 and O Z e vice consists of a V type pulley of solid or im- Don le pul ey n associated D 11 changing type and a v type pulley of the split Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line variety, wherein the flanges of the pulley are H of Figur 2 ut 0 8 l rs Beale,v movable toward and from each other to increase Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on h line and decrease the size of the loop of the belt 5-5 of Figure 6,

46 around the pulley in order to vary the speed Figure. 6 is a sectional view showing the ex ratio between the machine or apparatus which pflnsible Pul ey and parts a j cent t re delivers the fabric and the one which receives Figure 7 is an elevation of one of the springs a the fabric. This variable'pulley is provided with for moving one-flange of the expansible pulley, means for adjusting the pulley to regulate the Figure 8 is a similar view of theother spring,

speed ratio, which is of a much simpler and more and delicate character than any adjusting device Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line heretofore proposed because the speed ratio must 0-9 of Figure 6. A

be under the control of the fabric which is itself In the drawings we have shown part of a ma- 3 of a delicate nature and subject to'being easily chine or device for handling fabric and this indistorted.

Thispulley may be of fixed size. On the horizontal bars 2 we mount bearing members- 1 in which there is iournaled a shaft 6 and on this shaft is mounted an expansible pulley 6 having special features forming part of our invention. The shaft's 4, 3 on which the pulley 5 and the expansible pulley 9 are mounted may be permanently fixed at any distance from each other or, in other words, they have fixed centers.

The expansible pulley is constructed as follows: There are two pulley flanges I6, I I mounted on the shaft 8 and facing each, other, that is to say, the left hand flange II has a frusto conical face i2 and the flange It has a frusto conical face i3, these two frusto conical surfaces facing each othertov provide a'V shape groove H between the flange members, as shown in Figure 6. In order to allow the flange members to approach each other closely in order to operate in conjunction with a'comparatively narrow belt, the conical faces of the two flange members are provided with radiallyextending slots l5 forming a comb-like structure on each flange member and the solid'portions of one flange member enter the slots of the opposing flange member so that the two flange members may be moved close together-as shownin Figure 6 and engage the V type belt 6 of narrow width, this belt having side edges cut on opposite slanting angles so that the sides of the belt converge or are of V shape. j

The hubs of theflange members are provided one with a righthand and one with a left hand internal screw thread l6, l1 and these screw "athreaded portions co-operate with the male threads 16,13 formed on the outside of a sleeve which is mounted over the shaft 6 and is compelled to revolve therewith, such as bythe set screw 21 shown in Figure 5. The screwthread on one end of the sleeve 26 is a left hand thread,

as shown in Figures 5 and 6, whereas the right hand thread l8 in Figure 6 is a right hand thread.

It willgbe apparent that if the flange members are revolved in relation to the sleeve member 20 ,in one direction, the flange members will, by

reason of their threaded connections,- be moved toward each other, whereas, if ,they are revolved in the other direction in relation to the sleeve they will be moved further apart from each other. Because the threads 18 and I! are opposite' or left and right hand, the two flange members will move opposite each other, i. e., toward each other, at one time, and away from. each other another time, according to the relative, revolution of the flange members in relationto the sleeve 20.

1 We have shown collars 21, 22'at the ends of the sleeve member 20 which are fixed to the shaft 3 by set screws 23 so that they are adjustable around the shaft for a purpose which will appear hereinafter. There is a light coiled spring 24 mounted between the end of the hub of the left hand flange member in Figure 5 andin Figure 6 and the collar 2|. There is a similar spring 25 but coiledin the opposite direction, as shown in Figure 8, and this is mounted between the hub of the right hand flange member in Figure 6 and the collar 22. One end of the spring 24 engagesin an aperture in the end of the hub of the left hand flange member and the other, bent end of this spring engages in an aperture in'the collar 2!.

One end of the spring 25 engages in an aperture of ;the hub of the right hand flange member in figure 6, and the other, bent end of this same spring enters an aperture in the collar 22.

There is a bell crank lever 26 loosely pivoted on the shaft 3 and one arm 21 of this lever has an idler roller 23 engaging the outer surface of the V belt 6 between the pulleys 5 and 3 for the purpose of forminga loop 23 in the belt, and this loop will be raised in Figure 1 more or less upon the rocking of the lever arm 21 for the purpose hereinafter described.

Hie other arm 36 of this bell crank lever is plvotally connected with a pitman 3| which extends to the left in Figure 1 and is pivotally con- -36 at the opposite side of the machine in which the rods 36 carrying the rollers 31 are also fixed. The rods 33 carrying the rollers 31 are shown disposed in a vertical row upon the arm 36 there being five suchrods shown and it will be understood that there may be a lesser or greater number of these rods. The bracket 34 also carries a rod 33 extending crosswise of the machine on which is mounted an idler roller 46 around which the fabric coming from the delivering machine or part of the machine engages, and from there the fabric passes upwardly andjfpartlyaround the lowermost roller 31.

There is a lever 42 pivoted to swing freely on the shaft 33 andthe'upper arm 44 of this lever extends upwardly and in the same vertical'plane as the flxed arm 36 and it will be understood that the construction is duplicated at the opposite side of the machine, as shown in Figure 2. The lower arm 45 of this lever is provided with a counterbalancing weight 46 which'is sodesigned as to normally retain the lever 42 in a vertical position, except when overbalanced in the manner hereinafter described.

There is a pulley 41 which is fixed to the shaft 33 andthere is a strap or band 46 having one end flxed to this pulley by the screw 43 in Figure 4, and this band extends upwardly and passes partly around an idler pulley 50 which is mounted may be provided for the band according to the ,character of the material which is being handled.

The fabric coming from the first machineor apparatus after passing partly around the guide roller 46 passes around the lowermost guide roller 31 on the stationary arms, thence over the lower-' most roller 54'carried by the lever arms 44, thence the fabric passes back and around the second lowermost roller 31 onthe stationed-s, arms 36 and again forwardly and around the second roller on the lever arms 44 and the fabric continues to pass back and forth around the rollers on the s ta a a -..a.11..1,1 1

tionary arms 3.6 and the rollers 54 on the leverarms 44 until the fabric finally passes around the topmostroller 31 on the stationary arms and then passes forwardly as shown at .55 to a'second 5 machine or part of a machine inwhich the fabric is to be treated or handled.

The fabric adaptedto be handled in the present machine may consist of a plain strip of fabric or a tube of knitted material which by its charm acter is adapted to be stretched laterally" or lengthwise. Because of its nature, this fabric, when stretched lengthwise,,will decrease inwldth if not restrained and on the other hand when the shaft 33 and to swing the arms 44 clockwise g3 in-Figures .1 and 4, thus swinging these lever arms 44 away from the fixed arms 36. I If-thematerial coming'from the first machine which acts on the fabric is being delivered too fast and if this condition continues, then the arms so 44 will gradually, swing from left to right in Figure 4 and in Figure 1 because of the action of the weight 53 acting through the band 48 to rock the pulley 41. This acts on the shaft 33 which carries the lever arm '32.

5 relatively loose condition of the fabric around the several rollers 33 and the rollers 54' caused by the 1 too rapid delivery or the material to the present control device, the lever arms 44 swing to the right in Figures 1 and 4. This movement of the lever 9 arms 44 and the shaft 33-causesthe lever .arm 32 to swing to the right in Figure l andthis action is transmitted-throughthe pitman 3| to the bell crank lever 21 causing the latter to swing counterclockwise on the shaft 8 in Figure 1, thus moving 5 the roller 28 in a direction to increase the loop 29 of the'v belt I This will have the effect of increasing the size of the loop of the belt Saround the expanslble pulley because as the roller 28 retracts and the 5 loop of the belt around. the expansible pulley grows larger, the flanges of the expansible pulley are caused to move toward each other and toward the condition shown in Figure 6 by the turning of the flanges under the action of the light springs 55 24, 25 in relation to the sleeve-20. As these two flange members are turned in relation to the sleeve by their springs, the oppositely formed threads l8, l9 act on the respective flange memhers ofthe pulley to cause them to move toward 0 each other so that they follow against the slanting sides of the V belt as the latter moves into a larger lo'op.

This has the effect of increa ing the speed of operation'of the large pulley '5 from which the ggmachine or' apparatus which is receiving the fabric is speeded up in order to take the fabric at a faster speed and imaccordance with the increased speed at which the fabric is being delivered from the first machine or. device to the- 70 controlling device described above. When synchronism has thus been established between the two machines or parts of machines acting on the fabric, the rocking arm 32 will remain stationary in whatever position it was 75 placed by the above-mentioned action. The lever Owing to the arms will continue to dwell in their new positions until such time -asthe fabric fed from the first machine to the control device undergoes a change, thatis, until the fabric 'is either fed too fast to the; control device or too slowly. The. 5 lever 44 jwill swing -t0 the right in Figure 1 from their lastlposition if the receiving. machine is tobeincreased in speed 'orto-theileftif.thev receiving machine is to be decreased in speed, to synchronize with-the machine which is delivering :10"

thefabrlctoth'e controldevi'cep n If 'the fabric is being fed too slowlyito the. con! trol device compared with thespeed at which'the fabric is be ng taken bythe receiving machine,

then theaction will be opposite :to thatdescribed. -1

above, that is to say, the fabricwhere it passes around the several rollers ,31 and. 54 will be shortened, andthis will causethe lever arms.

to move to the left in-Figure 1-.or. .counterclock-r wise. This operation will cause the levcr arm 32';

.also to move counterclockwise in Figure-1, thus pulling on the pitman 3i and ,rocking'. thebell crank lever clockwise in Figure 1. .This action will move the roller 28 upwardly, thus shortening the effective length of the V belt 8 and decreasing the size of the loop inathis 'beltwhel'eTitpasses around the expanslble pulley. p. As the loop of the V belt iscompelled to. de crease in diameter, it forces the.two fiange-mein bers apart, and as the flanges are revolved slight. a. ly relatively tothe-"sleeve thethreiads. l3, J3 cause the flange members to move apart. ;This

, action isresisted slightlyby. the torque oflthea springs '24, since one,endofeachispring: connected with one of. the-flange members and the other ends of thespringaare connected to the; fixed co1lars'2l, 22- on the shaft 3.;The @reslst ance of the coiled 1springs.= is-.yery; light if the;

springs are made light in their action. I However,

the resistance is 'suflicientto keep-the flangemembers engagedwith the" inclined faces of. the V belt with suflicient pressure to'provide the necessary traction between the belt and the expanv sible pulley.

The action described above, by causing the loop of the V belt around the exp nsible pulley to decrease in diameter while'the diameter. of the pulley 5 remains=constant,. will cause thereceiving machine: or device to"'opera te at a lower than before, so that it will-take-up. the fabric 5 from the control device at a lower speed than be fore, and at a speed which will accord with the speed at which the fabric was delivered from the first machine.

It will be apparent,-therefore, that as the armsgg 44 swing clockwise in Flguresrl-and-, the speed; f

of the receiving machlne is-increased, whereas. when the lever arms move counterclockwisejin Figures 1 and i the speed of the receiving -ma- V chine is decreased. As the device isiautomatic go in its action, the two machines or devices will be automatically maintained synchronized, in their operatlonaso that the tension on:the fabric will remain uniform. By changing the weight 7 P 53 for a heavier or a lighter weight the tension 06' maintained on the fabric between the two machines may be increased or decreased. This change will be made according to the character of the fabric which is'be'ing handled and according to the desired degree of tension ton 0 placedonthefahric. v x The tension placed on the fabric may, if'de-f: sired,'be slight because the fabric. being. passed back and forth between the plurality of rollers u and 54 causes the,t 'en'slon"to be distributed along a relatively extensive portion of the fabric instead of being applied locally, and this will avoid distortion of the fabric.

The receiving and delivering machines do not necessarily operate at the same speed. For instance, if a knitted tubular fabric is being handled the receiving machine may be operating to spread the fabric laterally and when knitted fabric is spread or stretched laterally it has a tendency to shorten in the direction of its length. In such a case the receiving machine may be taking the fabric at a lesser speed than the first machine is delivering it. Even in this situation the present device will synchronize the two machines or parts of machines and maintain uniform tension on the fabric between the two machines.

As the springs shown in Figures 7 and 8 may be made very light, the force necessary to adjust the variable pulley is very light so that the tension on the fabric necessary to move the lever arm 32 may be very light. As far as we are aware, this is the first instance where springs for controlling the flanges of an expansible pulley have acted by torque action instead of by compression, and therefore the present device is the first one known to us where the expansible pulley can be controlled by a verydelicate force.

The collars 2|, 22 may be adjusted around the sleeve Ill and fixed in their adjusted positions by the set screws 23. This adjustment will regulate the amount of torque to be exerted through the springs 24, 25 to move the flange members of the expansible pulley apart. By adjusting these collars the ends of the springs which are attached to them will beadjusted in relation to the ends of the springs which are attached tov the flange members of the pulley so that the degree of torque exerted by the springs when the flange members are moved" laterally in relation to each other may be regulated.

This permits the springs to be adjusted so that they will operate with very slight force exerted on the lever arm 32 so that the tension required in the fabric to control the variable speed device may be reduced to a minimum. This combination makes it possible to control the variable speed device through the action of the fabric, whereas in prior variable speed drives too much force is required to varythe speed to permit them to be used in the character of work described herein.

With the present device it is possible to obtain infinite variations of speed of the receiving machine or apparatus, whereas with electrical controls variations must be limited to a smaller and given number of variations. Insteadof having a spring for moving each flange of the variable pulley, one flange may be fixed and the spring may be applied to the other flange only, although the preferred construction is as shown in the drawings.

The tension in the fabric necessary to operate the member 44 is distributed over a large portion of the fabric because the fabric passes back and forth in a number of runs between the rollers on the member 44 and on the member 36, so that excessive distortion of the local portion of the fabric is avoided, which is desirable where the machine is, handling knitted fabric.

portion of fabric over which the tension is distributed serves to act as a reservoir for the purpose of creating speed changes gradually and there is enough cloth in this reservoir so that the member 44 does not rise or fall too rapidly and The large thus effect too rapid changes of speed with resulting distortion of the fabric. Furthermore, the fabric, with the present control, does not necessarily have to feed to the receiving machine or apparatus in taut condition, but if desired it may be fed to it under light tension or even in a loose condition. This is made possible by the control device described herein.

Having described our invention, what we claim is:

. 1. A speed changing device including a shaft, a plurality of frusto conical flange members cooperating to form an expansible pulley, a V type belt travelling between the frusto conical surfaces of said flange members, means for effecting the movement of said flange members toward and from each other and tortion springs acting on said flange members'by tortion action and tending to effect the movement of said flange members toward each other by said flange moving means. 2. A speed changing device, including a shaft, a plurality of frusto conical flange members cooperating to form. an expansible pulley, a V type belt travelling between the frusto conical surfaces of said flange members, oppositely directed threads for effecting the movement of said flange members toward and from each other, and oppositely arranged tortion springs acting by tortion one on each of said flange members and tending to effect the movement of said flange members toward each other by said threaded means.

3. A speed changing device, including a shaft having a sleeve having reverse threads thereon, a plurality of' frusto conical flange members mounted on said sleeve and being threaded to co-operate with said thread, a V- type belt travelling around the frusto conical surfaces of said flange members, collars 'adjustablearound said shaft, and tortion springs each having one end connected with one of said collars and" the other end with one of said flange members whereby said springs tend to revolve said flange members by tortion in relation to said sleeve.

4. A device for synchronizing the operation of a plurality of machines or apparatus'which operate on a strip offabric and which deliver the fabric from one to the other, including stationary means, pivoted means movable toward and from the stationary means, a plurality of fabric sup-- porting members on said stationary means and a plurality of fabric supporting members on said pivotal means and around which the fabric is passed in alternate relation in a plurality of runs over the fabric supporting members on both said stationary and said pivotal means while travelling between said machines in flat condition, a speed changing device for controlling the speed of one of said machines, including a plurality of frusto conical flange members mounted adjacent each other on a shaft, means for ef fecting the movement of said flange members toward and from each other, tortion springs acting by tortion on said flange members, a V type belt engaging around said pulley, and means controlled by said pivotal means and acting on said belt to control the position of said flange members to synchronize the operation of said ma.- chines.

5. Apparatus for synchronizing the rate of feed of fabric strip handling machines operating in sequence which comprises a first series of parallel rollers and a second associated series of parallel rollers arranged between contiguous machines to support the strip in a sinuous path passing around the rollers of the two series in alternation, means supporting the two series of rollers the rate of strip travel at the adjacent end of a contiguous machine, and means operated by said relative movement between the two series of rollers for actuating the speed-changing. device and thereby maintaining a relatively fixed total length of strip on the two series of rollers.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which one series of parallel rollers is fixed and the other is movable, and the speed-changing device is acmated by movement of the movable seriesof rollers.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which one series of rollers is mounted for movement about a pivot, and the biasing means includes means for applying a fixed torque at the pivot.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which one series of rollers is mounted for movementv about a pivot and the biasing means includes means for imparting a relatively uniform torsion pressure at the pivot and means for imparting a lesser counterbalancing bias increasing in accordance with increase in spacing between the series of rollers.

9. Apparatus for synchronizingthe rate of feed of fabric strip feeding machines operating in sequence which comprises a fixed series or parallel rollers, a movable series of parallel rollers mounted for movement about a pivot and located adjacent the fixed series of rollers in position to support the strip traveling in a sinuous path around the rollers of the two series in alternation, means for biasing the movable series of rollers around the pivot and away from the fixed series, a variable diameter pulley, means for driving one of the machines including a belt passing around the' pulley, and means for varying the speed of the machine including a rocker arm engaging thebelt and mounted for movement transversely to the axis or the pulley and link means connecting the rocker arm to the movable series of rollers for rocking said arm in. accordance with-variations in the length of material passing over'ithe rollers of the two series, arranged to vary the diameter of the belt loop passing around the pulley and thereby to vary the effective diameter of the pul y.

10. A speed-changing device including a shaft, a plurality of frusto-conical flange members carried by the shaft and cooperating to form an expansible pulley, a belt traveling between the frusto-com'cal surfaces of the flange members, said flange members being provided with alternating interlocked projections forming part of the frusto-conical faces of the members and axially slidable on each other, means for effecting the movement of the flange members toward and from each other and torsion springs acting on the'fiange members by torsion action and tending to effect the movement of the flange members toward each other by the flange moving means. V

11. Apparatus for synchronizing the rate of feed 01' two machines operating in tandem to treat a'traveling fabric strip, each of said machines having a driving mechanism for propelling the fabric, said apparatus comprising a fixed arm and a movable arm, each of said arms containing a plurality of rollers over which the fabric strip in passing from the first to the second of the two machines, is led back and forth between said arms so that it passes alternately over a roller 01' the fixed arm and then over a roller of the movable arm,- saidmovable arm being biased to tend to move away from said fixed arm to increase the length of the strip between said arms, (an expansible pulley having V-formed belt driving faces) through which one of said driving mechanisms is driven and to which said movable arm is operably connected to vary its effective belt-driving diameter in response to movement of said pivoted arm, thus regulating the speed or propulsion of the fabric strip in one of the machines to maintain a substantially uniform tension on the fabric strip at said arms.

SAMUEL coma. mas o. WALTER. 

